Hose support



C. E. BURNS HOSESUPPORT Oct. 12, 1937.

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 19, 1935 INVENTOR: Charms fLBurn/s,

WITNESSES:

Get; 12, 1937.

C. E. BURNS HOSE SUPPORT Filed March 19, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheen. 2

INVENTOR: Charles fLBZMIMS,

' ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES! H @Qm 6'. Q u

Oct. .12, 1937. c. E. BURNS HO SE SUPPORT Filed March 19, 1955 5Sheets-Shet 3 v INVENTOR.

Charms E.5urns,

BY ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 12, 1937 UNITED STTES HOSE SUPPORT Charles E. Burns,

Appiication March 19,

11 Claims.

This invention relates to hose supports, and it has reference moreparticularly to means for supporting hoses for convenience ofmanipulation incident to spray washing locomotives, rail- .5; road carsand other relatively large and long objects.

In washing locomotives or railroad cars, for example, it has been thecustom heretofore to employ long spray hoses which extended from a watersupply connection and which had to be dragged back and forth along theground for access to different parts of the locomotives or cars with thespray nozzles. Such dragging obviously caused rapid wear andnecessitated frequent re 15. placements of the hoses. Moreover, in orderto avoid the strenuous exertion involved in moving about the hoses, theoperatives, unless under close supervision, would invariably stand in afixedposition and direct the water spray onto the locomotives or carsfrom a distance. Under these circumstances, the washing was far frombeing thorough and satisfactory, notwithstanding the use of a greatamount of water in the operation.

Considered from the broadest aspect, my invention is directed towardovercoming the drawbacks Which are pointed out above. This objective Irealize as hereinafter more fully set forth, through provision of a hosesupporting means including an arm from the end of which the hose issuspended, and which is pivotally supported with capacity to swing in avertical plane through an arc of approximately 180 from a substantiallyhorizontal position at one side of the post to a substantiallyhorizontal position at the other side of the post, said arm beingslightly counterweighted for maintenance normally in upright position.For the purposes of locomotive orrailroad car washing, I employ, as alsomore fully set forth hereinafter, two of such hose supporting means, oneat each side of a track siding withthe pivots arranged for swinging ofthe hose supporting arms in vertical planes parallel to the track rails.

Other objects and attendant advantages will be manifest from thefollowing detailed description of the accompanying drawings; wherein,Fig. I is a view in side elevation showing hose supports of my inventionarranged for locomotive washing.

Fig. II is a plan View of the organization shown in Fig. I.

Fig. III is a fragmentary View on a larger scale showing one of the hosesupports in side elevation.

Collingswood, N. J.

1935, Serial No. 11,767

Fig. IV is a plan view of the support.

Fig. V is a fragmentary sectional view taken as indicated by the arrowsVV in Figs. III and IV and drawn to a still larger scale; and,

Fig. VI is a detail sectional view taken as indicated by the arrowsVI-VI in Fig. IV.

With more detailed reference first to Figs. I and II of theseillustrations, T designates a railway track siding onto which thelocomotive L to be cleaned is run centrally between a pair of hosesupports l which are identical in construction and symmetricallydisposed at opposite sides of said track siding; Each of the hosesupports 5 comprises a post 2 to the upper end of which is pivoted anarm 3 with capacity to be swung vertically in a plane parallel to thetrack T through an arc of approximately from a substantially horizontalposition 3a (Fig. I) at one side of the post, to a correspondingposition 31) at the opposite side of said post. 20

As shown in Figs. III and IV, the arm 3 is of composite constructioncomprising a tubular portion 4 and a bifurcate fulcrum portion 5 meetingin a juncture block 6 and held assembled by clamp bolts 1. The spacedextremities 8 of the bifurcate portion 5 of the arm 3 straddle the post2 and are apertured as at 9 to engage over the ends of an axis memberIf! secured transversely of the post 2 nearthe top. From Fig. V it willbe observed that the axis member II) has axial hollows ll, l2 atopposite ends thereof. Connecting into the hollows I l and [2 of theaxis member It) at the top are supply pipes l3 and I4 which extendrespectively from sources of water or other washing liquid andcompressed air (not illustrated), said pipes having suitable controlvalves l5 and I6 interposed in them. Extending through the tubularportion 4 of the arm 3 is a water conducting pipe H with an angledbranch [8 whereof the end l9 connects axially into the hollow l l of theaxis member I!) through a stuffed swivel joint 25. As further shown inFigs. III and IV, the water conducting pipe I! extends somewhat beyondthe outer end of the tubular section 4 of the arm 3 and terminates in anelbow 2|. Connected by a swivel joint 22 to the elbow 2| is anotherelbow 23 to which a suspended flexible hose 24 is connected, said hosebeing substantially the same length as the arm 3 and fitted at its freeend with a nozzle 25. The extremities 8 of the bifurcated portion 5 ofthe arm 3 extend well beyond the fulcrum axis, and, at their swingingends, carry weights 26 which slightly overbalance the weight of the hose24 and thus tend to keep the arm 3 normally in upright position as shownin dotted lines at in Fig. I. Also extending through the tubular portion4 of the arm 3 is an air pipe 21 having an angled branch 28 whereof theend 29 connects axially with the end cavity H of the axis member Ii]through a stuifing box 3!]. Beyond the end of the, arm 3, the pipe 21enters the pipe I! at an angle, as at 3|, so that the compressed air isinjected into the pipe I! in the direction of the fiow of the watertherein. With the aid of the compressed air, the water is forciblyexpelled from the nozzle 25 of the hose 24, and is 7 thus made moreeffective in removing mud and dirt accumulations from the locomotive Lor car being washed.

In the use of my invention, by grasping the nozzle 25 of the hose 24 ateither side of the track siding T, the operative can walk the entirelength of the locomotive L without having to drag the hose 24 or tosupport the weight thereof, the only resistance to the attendantmovement of the arm 3 being that due to the small excess weight of thecounterweights 26. All parts of the locomotive L are thus made availablefor cleaning at close range so that the cleaning operation can beaccomplished in much less time than required heretofore. The washingoperation is further expedited and rendered more economical with' theaid of compressed air, since under the forcible action of the latter,dirt and mud are effectively loosened so that less water is required fortheir removal.

7 While I have herein particularly shown and described my novel hosesupports in duplicate for the purposes of locomotive or car washing, itis obvious that they may be employed singly in other connections withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention as defined in the broader ofthe following claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A hose support comprising a. rigid post; a tubular arm pivoted by abifurcate fulcrum portion to the post upper end with capacity for freeswinging movement in a vertical plane through an arc of approximately180 from a substantially horizontal position at one side of the post toa corresponding position at the other side of the post; afluid-conducting conduit in the tubular arm; and a hose swivellysuspended from the outer end of said conduit.

2. A hose support in accordance with claim 1, wherein the tubular armhas a bifurcated fulcrum portion straddling the post, with the'innerparts of said fulcrum portion apertured to engage the opposite ends of astationary axis member extending transversely of the post at the top.

3. A hose support in accordance with claim 1, wherein the tubular armhas a bifurcated fulcrum portion straddling the post with the innerparts of said fulcrum portion apertured to engage the opposite ends ofan axis member fixed transversely of the top of the post, and the outerparts of said fulcrum portion extending beyond the fulcrum axis carryindividual counterweights to slightly overbalance the weight of the hoseWhereby said arm is normally maintained in upright position.

4. A hose support comprising a counterweighted tubular arm; a fixed axison which said arm is pivoted by a bifurcated extension; a pipe passingthrough and somewhat beyond the arm outer end by which fluid isconducted from the region of the pivot axis; and a hoseswivellyconnected by elbow means to the outer end of said pipe.

5. A hose support comprising a counterweighted tubular arm pivoted withcapacity for free swinging movement in a vertical plane by a bifurcatedextension at one end; a pipe passing through and somewhat beyond theouter end of thearm by which fluid is conducted from the region of thepivot; an elbow at the outer end of said pipe with an attached swiveljoint and second elbow; and a hose suspended from said second elbow forcapacity to be swung in a parallel plane.

6. A hose support comprising a counterweighted tubular arm; a fixed axison which said arm is pivoted by a bifurcated extension at one end; apipe through said arm by which water is conducted from the region of thepivot to the outer end of the arm; a hose swivelly connected to theouter end of the pipe; and another pipe through the arm for conductingcompressed air from the region of the pivot to a point within the waterpipe adjacent the outer end thereof to accelerate discharge of the waterthrough the hose.

7. A hose support comprising a counterweighted tubular arm; a fixedaxially-hollow axis member at the top of a rigid post to which thearm ispivoted, said axis member being con-- nected to a source of fluidsupply; a conducting pipe through said arm having the inner end thereofswivelly conneoted'by an; angled bendaxially with the hollow axismember; and a hose connected by elbows with an intervening swivel-jointto the outer end of the conducting pipe.

8. A hose support comprising a counter weighted arm; a fixed axis memberon which said arm is pivoted, said member having axialhollows inopposite ends thereof, one connected to a source of water supply and theother connected to a source of compressed air supply; a water conductingpipe along the arm having its inner end connected axially withthecorresponding end hollow of the axis member; a compressed air conductingpipe also along the arm similarly connected with the other end hollow ofthe axi'smem ber and terminating at its outer end within the waterconducting pipe adjacent the outer end of the latter; and a hoseconnected to the outer end of the water conducting pipe. 7 9. A hosesupport in accordance with claim 8 to support hose for wash water atopposite sides of a railroad track wherein the hose supporting arms arerespectively adapted for free swinging: movement in planes parallel tothe track through an arc of approximately relative to the horizontal.

10. A hose support in accordance withclaim 8 to support hose for washwater at opposite sides of a railroad track wherein the hose supportingarms are respectively adapted for free swinging movement in planesparallel to the track through an arc of approximately 180 relative tothe horizontal, and wherein counterweight means slightly in excess ofthe Weight of the hose causes the arm to be normally maintained inupright position.

11. The combination with a railroad track Sid-- ing for locomotives andthe like; of means in accordance with claim 8 tosupport hose for Washwater at opposite sides of the track, and wherein the hose supportingarms are respectively swingable in planes parallel to the track.

CHARLES E. BURNS;

